Holi Special: These 5 Traditional Snacks Will Bring Back Childhood Memories

Holi, the vibrant festival of colours, is just around the corner, and it brings a longing for the comforts of home, especially the traditional sweets and snacks that are integral to the celebration.

From gujiyas to thandai, preparing and sharing traditional food items not only reinforces family ties but also celebrates community togetherness.

In anticipation of this joyful occasion, we’ve curated five traditional snacks you can easily prepare at home to enhance your Holi festivities.

1. Gujiya

1. Take one cup of mawa and roast it until it is light brown.
2. In the same pan, then roast ¾ cup semolina in ghee. 
3. Mix half a cup of chopped cashews and almonds each.
4. Add roasted mawa back to the pan.
5. Cool, then combine with 1 cup of powdered sugar and half a tbsp of cardamom powder
6. To prepare the dough, mix two cups of all-purpose flour, three tbsp ghee, ½ tsp salt, one tbsp rose water, and water as needed. Knead it into a stiff dough.
7. Cover it with a damp cloth and rest it for 30 minutes.
8. Roll the dough, fill the gujiyas, and seal them. Remember to wet the edges with water before placing the filling.
9. Fry in oil until golden. Drain on paper.

2. Thandai

1. Blanch almonds, then blend with peppercorns, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, watermelon seeds and cardamom pods to form a smooth paste.
2. Heat milk in a pan. Stir in between and let it come to a slight boil. 
3. Once the milk comes to a boil, lower the heat and add the thandai masala and sugar. 
4. Stir in the saffron milk once the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat.
5. After 30 minutes, add rose water and stir. Let it sit for another 30-60 minutes.
6. Strain the thandai using a sieve into a pitcher. 
7. Refrigerate and serve chilled, garnished with sliced pistachios, almonds, rose petals and saffron strands.

3. Malpua

1. In a mixing bowl, blend one small bowl of curd and roughly ¾ of a small bowl of sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. 
2. Transfer about two small bowls of wheat flour to a large bowl.
3. Gradually add the curd and sugar mixture to the flour, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
4. Slowly add two small bowls of milk to the mixture while stirring, ensuring a smooth batter. Mix for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Heat ghee in a shallow, flat frying pan.
6. Take a full spoonful of the batter and carefully place it into the pan, shaping it into a round disc.
7. Fry the malpua over low to medium heat until it turns a light pinkish color.
8. Remove the cooked malpua from the pan and place it on a plate. Note: Fry only one malpua at a time.
9. From this mixture, you should be able to make 15 to 16 malpuas.

4. Khurma

1. Combine two cups of all-purpose flour with four to five tablespoons of oil in a large bowl.
2. Rub the oil into the flour until it holds its shape when pressed. 
3. Gradually add water to form a stiff dough.
4. Let it rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into three parts. Roll each part to a ¼ inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Traditional khurma is often square.
6. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Test with a small dough piece — it should rise gradually.
7. Fry dough pieces on medium-low heat until light golden, about seven to eight minutes.
8. Drain on a paper towel.
9. In a wok, mix two cups of sugar with 1/3-1/2 cup water. You can also add rose water.
10. Heat until the sugar dissolves, then simmer on medium for two to three minutes.
11. Add fried khurma to the syrup and stir on medium heat for two minutes, then turn off heat.
12. Stir occasionally for 10-15 minutes as the sugar crystallises and coats the khurma.
13. Once cooled, store khurma in an airtight container.

5. Kaju Namak para

1. Combine all-purpose flour, ghee, ajwain, baking powder, baking soda, oil, and salt in a bowl.
2. Knead it into a dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. Roll out the dough to a one cm thickness and cut into half-moon shapes.
4. Heat oil and fry the dough pieces on low heat until they float, then increase the temperature and fry until golden brown.
5. For the masala mix, combine black salt, regular salt, black pepper powder, chili powder, and amchur.
6. Toss the fried Namak Pare in the masala mix and serve. Store in an airtight container for long-lasting freshness.

Enjoy your delicious snacks! Happy Holi!

Edited by Megha Chowdhury.